These baked apple pie egg rolls are golden and crispy little bundles bursting with homemade apple pie filling. My recipe is baked instead of fried (with the option to use the air fryer), so you can make them without the oil and mess.
There’s nothing more comforting than apple desserts once fall hits. I can’t get enough, from apple hand pies to apple crisp and homemade apple cider donuts.
Who else loved the crispy, deep-fried McDonald’s apple pies back in the day? If so, I think you’re going to love today’s recipe. These apple pie egg rolls are golden egg roll wrappers filled with homemade cinnamon apple pie filling. While those McD’s pies were fried, these dessert egg rolls are baked. Rolled in cinnamon sugar, they’re full of juicy apples, warm spices, and sweet crunch.
As much as I love the crisp that comes with recipes like my deep-fried apple pie bites, sometimes you can’t beat the oven or air fryer for mess-free cooking. Not to mention, these baked apple pie egg rolls use a fraction of the oil needed for deep-frying.
Apple Pie Egg Rolls: Why You’ll Love Them
- Crispy instead of flaky. Unlike hand pies, which use a traditional flaky pie crust, these apple egg rolls use warm, crispy egg roll wrappers. They bake up golden and delicious.
- Juicy homemade filling. I make the apple filling from scratch with Granny Smith apples (my favorite for baking). You can use just about any apple variety you’d like. The filling is warm, spiced like fall, and ooey-gooey when you bite into these egg rolls. If you’re in a hurry, canned apple pie filling works, too.
- Apple pie egg rolls are so fun to serve! Roll them in cinnamon sugar, drizzle them with caramel sauce, or eat them à la mode with ice cream.
Ingredient Notes
You really only need a handful of ingredients for these egg rolls if you’re making the apple pie filling from scratch. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the full, printable recipe amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Apple Pie Filling – Included below and in the recipe card is my apple pie filling recipe made from crisp-tart apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, and a touch of maple syrup. You can also buy a can of pie filling to cut down on prep time. If you use canned filling, chop the apples into smaller pieces. I still like to add maple syrup.
- Egg Roll Wrappers – I found egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section of my local grocery store.
- Cinnamon Sugar – For a crunchy sugar coating. Make it with granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. You can also use pre-mixed cinnamon sugar from the spice aisle. For a fun variation, replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
Easy Homemade Apple Pie Filling
I fill these apple pie egg rolls with my easy apple pie filling. It’s the same one I use in more fall desserts, from classic apple pie to apple monkey bread. I thicken the filling with flour and add a little lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
The Best Apples to Use
I use Granny Smith apples as they’re crisp, tart, and won’t turn to mush when baked. Any firm, sweet-tart baking apple works nicely, including Gala, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp.
Precooking the filling ensures that there aren’t any chewy, hard bites of apple leftover after baking. If you’re making your cinnamon apple pie filling from scratch:
- Combine the ingredients. Toss the apples with lemon juice and then with brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Gently stir in a little maple syrup.
- Cook. Warm the apples in a saucepan over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until they’re soft and caramelized. Stir occasionally, and add a little water as needed to keep the sugar from burning on the bottom of the pan.
- Cool. Set your apple pie filling aside and let it cool before you use it in the egg rolls.
How to Make Apple Pie Egg Rolls
These apple pie egg rolls are easy to fill and wrap, and they have a quick baking time. I love making a big batch of these for Thanksgiving or Christmas, as a sweet appetizer or for dessert. The steps are simple, and you can follow along here.
- Prepare for baking. While the oven preheats to 425ºF, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the wrappers. Start by laying out the egg roll wrappers with one corner pointing up and the other pointing down, like a diamond. Take care not to tear the dough.
- Fill the egg rolls. Lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Then, spoon the prepared apple pie filling so it’s just below the center of the wrapper.
How to Fold Egg Rolls
- Start by folding the bottom corner up and over the pie filling, tucking it slightly underneath.
- Next, fold the sides of the wrapper toward the middle so it looks like an open envelope.
- Roll the wrapper up tightly toward the top corner and seal the egg roll closed.
Bake the Egg Rolls So They’re Crispy
Once you’ve rolled them up, the steps to bake the apple pie egg rolls are quick and easy:
- Lightly oil the rolls. Place the finished egg rolls on your lined baking sheet. Before baking, brush the rolls lightly with olive oil on all sides. You could also use an olive oil spray if you have it.
- Bake. Bake your apple pie egg rolls at 425ºF for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes. If the apple pie filling bubbles out of the wrapper a little, that’s fine! Bake until the egg rolls are golden brown.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar. Immediately after baking, roll the apple egg rolls in cinnamon sugar so they’re evenly coated. Use a set of tongs when handling, as the rolls will be HOT! Cool the coated egg rolls on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, and then serve them topped with ice cream or with caramel sauce for dipping.
Use the Air Fryer
You can easily prepare these apple pie egg rolls in the air fryer if you have one. Egg rolls cooked in the air fryer are crispier than those baked in the oven, which tend to be chewier.
- Prep. Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF while you prepare the apple pie egg rolls as above.
- Cook. Working in batches, air fry the egg rolls in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes, flipping after 3 minutes so they brown on both sides.
- Coat with sugar. Lightly dab a small amount of olive oil over the egg rolls right as they come out of the air fryer, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
These apple pie egg rolls are best eaten slightly warm. You can enjoy them freshly baked or warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
If you would like to make the apple egg rolls ahead of time and freeze them, I recommend freezing the unbaked egg rolls (see the storage section below). When you’re ready to cook, bake the egg rolls from frozen, adding a few minutes of baking time to each side.
Make Ahead Tip
To prepare these egg rolls ahead of time, flash-freeze the uncooked apple pie egg rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer frozen egg rolls to a freezer-safe bag or container using parchment paper between layers. Egg rolls will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake the egg rolls as directed, adding a few extra minutes when baking from frozen.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
- Refrigerate. These apple pie egg rolls are fine to stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that, they can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Wrap the cooled egg rolls loosely in foil and place them in an airtight container to store.
- Reheat. Bake the egg rolls at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes to crisp up the outside again.
- Freeze. Flash-freeze the baked egg rolls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container with parchment paper in between each egg roll. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat the egg rolls from frozen in a 375ºF oven for 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. To keep them crispy, place the egg rolls on a wire rack set over the baking sheet.
More Apple Recipes
Apple Pie Egg Rolls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 11 egg rolls
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These apple pie egg rolls are golden, crispy egg roll wrappers bursting with warm homemade apple pie filling. Roll them in cinnamon sugar and serve with ice cream or caramel sauce. This is an easy fall dessert that you can make in the oven or air fryer!
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized green apples, peeled and diced.
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7.5g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
- 11 egg roll wrappers
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar
- 1 heaping teaspoon (5g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced apples (should be about the size of a dime) with lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix together with the apples until fully coated. Pour the maple syrup over the top and gently stir.
- Heat the apples on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally. You want the apples to be soft. If the apples are sticking to the pan add 2-4 tablespoons of water to the saucepan as needed. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Carefully set the egg roll wrappers so that they do not tear. Position one egg roll wrapper with a corner pointing up and one down so that it looks like a diamond and not a square. Using a little bit of water on your finger, wet the edges of the wrapper. Spoon two tablespoons of the apple filling in a log shape just below the center of the wrapper.
- Fold the bottom corner of the egg roll wrapper up and slightly tuck the corner under the filling. Next, fold each of the side corners into the middle of the wrapper. It will look like an open envelope. Roll it up tightly towards the top corner and use a little more water and press gently to seal the wrapper closed. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Once all of the egg rolls are finished, lightly brush both sides of each roll with the olive oil or use the olive oil spray.
- Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes and then flip the egg rolls over, baking for an additional 10 minutes. You will notice that the apple pie filling is starting to bubble out of the egg rolls, and this is ok. Keep baking until the egg rolls are a golden brown. Remove from the oven and roll in the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture.
- While the egg rolls are baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture in a shallow bowl or on a plate. As soon as the egg rolls are done, roll each of them in the mixture using a set of tongs, as the egg rolls will be hot.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Prepare the egg rolls as instructed. Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees for 3 minutes.
- Place the egg rolls in a single layer in the air fryer (you may need to do 2 batches)
- Air fry for 5 minutes, flipping the egg rolls over after 3 minutes.
- As soon as the egg rolls were done, use a pastry brush to dot on a VERY light amount of oil and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Allow the egg rolls to cool for about 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before eating, as the filling is very hot.
Notes
- Storage instructions: Store cooked apple pie rolls on a wire rack for up to 2 hours at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: To store in the refrigerator, let the egg rolls cool completely and use foil to loosely wrap each egg roll. Place in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat refrigerated egg rolls, bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
- Freezer: To store baked egg rolls in the freezer, cool completely and then flash freeze on a baking sheet. Place frozen egg rolls in a freezer-safe container, separated by parchment paper, for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen egg rolls, bake in a 375ºF preheated oven for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through. Flip the egg rolls halfway through. To help keep the egg rolls crispy, place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet, then place egg rolls on top of the rack before reheating.
- Baking vs. Air Fryer: Both versions are really good, but the egg rolls baked in the oven are not as crispy as the egg rolls cooked in the air fryer. The baked egg rolls are a little more chewy.
